The Role and Importance of Cultural Tourism in Modern Tourism Industry

According to HOFSTEDE (1997) the core of a culture is formed by the values (Figure 1.)
which in terms of tourism will be the basics for the attraction of a given destinations well.
The different levels of culture will be the rituals, the heroes and the symbols of the given
culture which again would serve as a basis for tourism purpose travels.
We also agree with the definition of the Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute according to
which “Culture refers to the following Ways of Life, including but not limited to:
•  Language: the oldest human institution and the most sophisticated medium of
expression.
•  Arts & Sciences: the most advanced and refined forms of human expression.
•  Thought: the ways in which people perceive, interpret, and understand the world
around them.
•  Spirituality: the value system transmitted through generations for the inner well-being
of human beings, expressed through language and actions.
•  Social activity: the shared pursuits within a cultural community, demonstrated in a
variety of festivities and life-celebrating events.
•  Interaction: the social aspects of human  contact, including the give-and-take of
socialization, negotiation, protocol, and conventions”. (http://www.roshan-institute.org/474552)
Based on the above mentioned we can state that culture is part of the lifestyle which a
multitude of people are sharing. The similarities in spoken and written language, behaviour,
lifestyle, customs, heritage, ideology and even technology connect the individuals to groups
of people in a certain culture. So now if we take into consideration cultural tourism these
groups will constitute on the demand side on the one hand those tourists who are
possessing cultural motivation during their travel and on the other hand from the supply
side the destination which is disposing those attraction which are capable to desire the
attraction of a culturally motivated tourists or visitor. So based on the upper mentioned we
could also state that the altering explanations of cultural tourism could also be derived from
the altering meanings and interpretations of the term culture.